JD (U) slams J-K Govt. for not fulfilling its promise of talking to Hurriyat

The Janata Dal (United) on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Government in Jammu and Kashmir for not fulfilling its promise to talk to all stakeholders, including the Hurriyat leaders.

JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav said senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar meeting the Hurriyat leaders is not surprising, adding that even veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L. K. Advani and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also met them.

"What is the big deal in that? It is not something to be surprised about. Even Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee also met Hurriyat. It is not a new thing. In their alliance, BJP and PDP had said they would talk to all stakeholders, including Hurriyat, including Pakistan. They have not fulfilled their own promise," Yadav told ANI.

Another JD (U) leader K. C. Tyagi also opined the same and said, "It is a part of the BJP-PDP's joint programme that they would talk to all stakeholders, including Hurriyat Conference, for Kashmir resolution. I don't know if it is a part of backdoor politics."

In an effort to resume dialogue with the stakeholders in Kashmir, a five-member delegation led by Aiyar yesterday called on moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and discussed ways to calm down the protestors.

The delegation reached at the Nigeen residence of Mirwaiz at 10.30 a.m. to discuss the prevailing situation in the Valley and the necessary steps to be initiated for bringing peace in Kashmir, which has been marred by violent protests since July 2016.

Considering the situation very critical where students and youth have joined the protests, Aiyar insisted that the Central Government should hold dialogue with all the stakeholders in Kashmir as it would bring enduring solutions by bringing peace in the Valley as well as reduce tensions between India and Pakistan.

The five member delegation that includes O.P. Shah, Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Kapil Kak and Vinod Sharma, are likely to meet hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Aiyar also showed his willingness to meet the pro-independence JKLF chief Yasin Malik, but he refused to meet the delegation.

The meetings with Hurriyat leaders assume significance after the group insisted that the Central Government should hold talks with Pakistan including separatists for resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The delegation participated in a seminar organised by an NGO, Peace and Progress, where they proposed that government of India should talk to Kashmiri people including gunmen, protesters, stone pelters and should take the support from academics, clerics to calm down the unrest.